Templar State
The Earthly Empire of the Heavenly Father as it is officially titled is where the Lightist forces prevailed in the Northenwood, forming a country more commonly referred to as the Templar State. Its capital is the Holy City, supposedly chosen as the place where Yeshu will return to bring those who held faith in his father to Heaven, while turning those in grave sin to stone and leaving the earth a dead world. Government There are two parts to the government that forms the Templar State: the Senate of Cardinals, and the Temporal Council (also the Council of Seven). The Senate acts as a political body that votes, oversees, and works with the other countries and local governments within its own territory. There are three hundred and sixty seven members, mostly men. The Temporal Council acts as the executive branch of the church and is widely regarded as the highest authority in the church. Its members are elected from the Senate of Cardinals and they serve life terms. Their identities are stripped, replaced with a mask and a silver necklace with the Cross of Yeshu. They are meant to embody the original apostles, taking their names as their titles. Temporal Council Kephas, The Balance, is the figurehead of the church and direct representative of the Temporal Council. He acts as the "leader" of the seven, dealing with foreign political figures and public affairs. Mattay, The Key, is the treasurer of the church, responsible for the material welfare of the church, and oversees all fundraising efforts, investments, and donations. Loukas, The Sword, is the commander-in-chief of the Templar Army. He also oversees church guards and heads security for the Holy City. Yohanan, The Quill, is the historian and secretary to the council. He oversees the translation of ancient texts and heads investigations and acts as a judge for trials of the highest offense. Every law that is written he knows by heart. Markos, The Compass, is the head of scientific research. The church allows practice of certain magic which has been explored, analyzed, and deemed not an abomination but a gift from God. Magic is not magic if it's “science” after all. He is a "sage" and is looked to as the chief authority on the church's philosophy. He assists Yohanan in trials concerning church law. Maria, The Dove, is the only female member of the council. She heads humanitarian efforts and oversees covenants, monasteries, and public shelters. Yehuda, The Cross, is the Chief Exorcist of the Church of the Light. Little else is known about his office. He rarely votes, abstains on many issues, and hardly ever issues orders. Politics Currently, the positions of the Church of the Light are thus: magic, abortion, divorce, and non-hetero relations are forbidden. Slavery is permitted, since Yeshu did not condone it, but did say "As the Father offer salvation to Man, so the Master must offer salvation to the Servant". Compared to their past actions, the Church is considered a relatively benign, even helpful part of Albrind. Politically, they are aligned with some of the dukes of Westerwood, attempting to assert more and more influence over the temporal. Of course, while they are not heading up crusades against anyone at the moment, the Church still persecutes anyone caught using magick in the Templar State. Outside their borders, you can find exorcists scouring the world over for magic artifacts to destroy and negate, or dead spirits to send to Heaven or the oblivion of Hell. Category:Locations